5 Brothers and a Million Sisters

I met Jordan Knight (sat next to him, talked to him and did not hyperventilate. Proud?). We sat a few seats down from Danny Wood. Rachel and Joey MacIntyre shared a "moment," that ended with a much photographed hug. We have the street address of Jordan and Jon's mother, penned by Jon Knight himself (long story). Our time spent with those 5 guys from Boston was priceless. And the best part of the trip, right? Strangely, no.

The cruise itself was also phenomenal. The massive ship. The relaxing spa. The late knight dancing (pun intended). And the eating. Oh the eating (many waited in line for the shows, while we were the first in line for the midnight Mexican buffet-and I wondered why my pants wouldn't button on the last day.) I also loved the merchandise pushing locals. And the camera-is-a-must scenery. Those postcards you see with the white sandy beaches and the crystal blue water, those places are real. They do exist. I know because we crashed the private beach that graces a number of those post cards. And if I could, I would go back. Tomorrow. So, perhaps that was the best part of the trip? Also, no.

You don't know the Big Bopper. You probably never will. You might not understand why we know Rachel to be a mathlete now, or why "Let's get this," will most certainly cause a fit of giggles. You have never met the Celtic twins (trust us, that is a good thing), or Mama Spike (if you do happen to see her around these parts, could you possibly give Rachel a heads up so she can go into the Witness Protection Program), or Sailor Steven (which is a shame, because knowing Sailor Steven makes the PCD a little bit more bearable). And much like my Philmont post recently, none of that will ever make sense to you. And that is okay. Because, of all the stories I will tell of my time sailing the high seas with NKOTB, those are the ones I will hold closest to my heart.

When I think back on this trip, I will remember the laughter. The deep from within, can't-stop-it-if-you-want-to kind of laughter. The laughter that brings you back to those 6th grade slumber parties (the sleeping hand in warm water, bra in the freezer type of slumber parties), when you giggled so much it physically hurt. The kind that erases all the bad, and forces you to let go of the worries. The kind that adult life makes you feel is unnecessary and inappropriate. Oh, yes. We laughed. A lot. Loudly. Obnoxiously. Freely.

When I think back on this trip, I will remember the tears. The tears from the Indonesian maid, who worked her skeletal frame to the bone to send money back home to a son she would only see twice a year, and who sobbed, on her knees in front of us when Rachel wrote her a check for half of what she makes in a month because, as Rachel so perfectly put it, "It is just money. I get to go home in 2 days and hug my children. " Or the tears of joy during the concert, when the lead singer of an NKOTB tribute band, Troy Kids (which started as a joke when he was in high school to "pick up chicks"), that we had befriended, saw his dream of performing with them realized after a crazy series of events had them calling him up on stage to sing "Games" right alongside them. Or the tears that wouldn't stop when the reality of the whole event washed over us, as we stood shoulder to shoulder with girls we had never before met, but now felt like sisters to us; the New Kids being the common thread weaving our lives together.

We boarded that ship, idolizing 5 superstars. After hearing Joey talk about his wife, Jordan tell stories about his son and watching Danny interact with his daughter, we saw them for who they really are: fathers, friends, husbands, brothers. And great ones at that. They might make millions, sell out concert venues and have bodyguards to fight off the psychotic fans (and there were a few of those on the ship as well), but at the end of the day, they too are just eager to get home to read bed-time stories and offer good night kisses. And that made me respect them more and idolize them less.

Yes, the cruise was one of the best trips of my life. And as an added bonus, I was able to share it with 2 of the most amazing, hilarious, genuine women around (Krista and Rachel, I know a regular old "thank you," will never be enough. So I will say, "Thank you. Let's get this," in hopes that will suffice.). This trip, much like those 5 kids from Beantown, will always hold a special place in my heart. But the best part of the trip. What made it all worth it to me, was when I realized that my real life, the one that matters, the one that gives me something to look forward to even after an indescribable trip like this, is right here. And shockingly, I'd choose an evening cuddled up next to my husband over an evening cuddled up next to Jordan Knight (and that is not the jet-lag talking!).

And now, no offense to them when they said, "Stop. Let me take a mental shot of this moment." But I feel a few actual images might beat out the mental images. So for your viewing pleasure, our cruise in pictures:
And so it begins....

And this is the end. We are making our best sad faces, to hopefully portray our state of depression.

There are a hundred more pictures I need to share. I might just do a photo blog once I get the pictures Krista shot with her mad skills and fancy camera. My pictures don't do the trip justice. And sadly, I don't think my words will either!